"Friends
- our life is love, and peace, and tenderness; and bearing one with another,
and forgiving one another...praying one for another, and helping one another up
with a tender hand, if there has been any slip or fall. . . . wait to feel this
spirit, and to be guided to walk in this spirit, that ye may enjoy the Lord in
sweetness, and walk sweetly, meekly, tenderly, peaceably, and lovingly one with
another. And then ye will be a praise to the Lord. . . . So watch your hearts
and ways; and watch one over another, in that which is gentle and tender. . . .
So, mind Truth, the service, enjoyment, and possession of it in your hearts;
and so to walk, as ye. . . may be a good savour in the places where ye live -
the meek, innocent, tender, righteous life reigning in you, governing over you,
and shining through you, in the eyes of all with whom ye converse"

The
Meeting is "gathered by the Spirit into the life and power of God". (The
Meeting is) "a people gathered by the life and Spirit of the Lord...abiding in
the power (from God), acting in the power, worshipping in the power, keeping in
the holy order and government of life (both inwardly in their own hearts, and
outwardly in their assemblings and walkings) by the power."

Isaac
Penington

Eldering
as an example of a faithful life:

"A
little child, who had seen the wonderful cathedral windows of England with
their saints in glorious color, described a saint as 'a person who lets the
light come through'.That is just
what happens. The saint lets the light come through. But my 'saints' not only
let the light through for me. . . but they were also always pulling me upward
and forward by invisible cords, somewhat as the moon lifts the ocean."

Mary
Penington (1625-1682) describes the influence on her life of Katherine
Springett, who lived in the same household and was the mother of Mary's future
husband.

"I
lived in the house with her, from nine years of age till after I was married to
her son. . . In all which time I do not remember ever to have seen or heard one
immodest, indiscreet, or evil word or action by or from her. She spent her time
very ingeniously, and in acts of bounty; bestowing great part of her fortune on
the poor, in physic and surgery...She had excellent judgment in all these, and
admirable success; which made her famous. . . She daily employed her servants
in making oils, salves, balsams, drawing of spirits, distilling of waters,
making syrups and conserves, lozenges and pills.

She was . . . famous for
taking off spots and cataracts from the eyes. . . . She cured. . . many
desperate burns, and cuts, and dangerous sores that came by them, and broken
limbs. . . . Perhaps she would have twenty patients of a morning, to administer
to. I have heard her say, she spent half her income after this sort; and never
received a penny for any thing of that kind, but often returned valuable
presents. . .

She
lived a very virtuous life; constant in morning and evening prayer in private,
and often with her children; and caused them to repeat what they remembered of
sermons and scriptures. . .

She
was a most tender and affectionate mother. . .and always showed great kindness
to me.

Eldering
as spiritual anchor, a grounded person for the meeting & others:

"While
I was too young to have any religion of my own, I had come to a home where
religion kept its fires always burning. We had very few 'things', but we were
rich in invisible wealth. I was not 'christened' in a church, but I was
sprinkled from morning till night with the dew of religion. We never ate a meal
which did not begin with a hush of thanksgiving; we never began a day without
'a family gathering' at which mother read a chapter of the Bible, after which
there would follow a weighty silence. These silences, during which all the
children of our family were hushed with a kind of awe, were very important
features of my spiritual development. There was work inside and outside the
house waiting to be done, and yet we sat there hushed and quiet, doing nothing.
I very quickly discovered that something real was taking place. We were
feeling our way down to that place from which living words come and very often
they did come. Some one would bow and talk with God so simply and quietly that
God never seemed far away. The words helped to explain the silence. We were now
finding what we had been searching for. When I first began to think of God I
did not think of God as very far off. At meeting some of the Friends who prayed
shouted loud and strong when they called upon Him, but at home He always heard
easily and He seemed to be there with us in the living silence. My first steps
in religion were thus acted. It was a religion which we did together."

Rufus
Jones in Finding the Trail of Life

Eldering
as encourager of faithfulness of individuals & the Meeting:

"My
father was a minister, and my mother an elder, of the Religious Society of
Friends; and they were concerned to train up their children in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord...The house and heart of my parents were always open for
the reception of friends and strangers, and it was with true and genuine
hospitality that the best it could afford was freely offered them. . . . My
mother was an Elder. She was of a sound judgment, and exercised that judgment
for the encouragement of right, and the discouragement of wrong things in her
family and neighborhood, and in society at large. . . . She was careful neither
to overrate nor underrate the gifts and services of ministers, and when she
felt an uneasiness with any. . .she would go to the individual or individuals,
and relieve her feelings in a Christian spirit, and in such an honest way as
left no doubt of her heart-felt concern for the best welfare of those to whom
she administered caution, reproof or whatsoever might be given her in this way
to communicate. . . . My
parents, both by example and precept, advised quietude and stillness, which we
found tended to our settlement in the Truth as it is in Jesus.""

(At
the Select Quarterly Meeting at Salem) - "In this meeting my mouth was opened,
and my heart enlarged in the love of the gospel towards the little company then
gathered, expressing the desire and necessity, that we might all deepen in the
root of life. That elders might dwell where they could understand what to
encourage, and what to discourage in the line of ministry, and be faithful to
the openings of Truth upon their minds, so as to be helpful to the ministers.
That the ministers might dwell so low and humble as to be willing to receive a
word of counsel, or rebuke, coming from a baptized elder, esteeming it as a
kindness, and as an excellent oil when and where the Master requires; and that
all might be in a disposition to follow out the command of our Saviour, 'If I,
your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye ought also to wash one
another's feet' (John 13:14), thus are we instructed to watch over one another
for good, willing to receive, as well as to give counsel."

Journalof Ann Branson

Eldering
as discerner:

".
. . went to the Boarding School (at Mount Pleasant). . .but on my going
thither, felt that something crossed my path, and turned me another way. After
getting there, I was informed of two individuals. . .who were in a desponding
state of mind. Immediately a great exercise came upon me, and such a weight of
concern, and sympathy for them, that I could neither eat nor sleep with any
comfort, until I gave up to go and see them. . . after meeting, went to see
B.H., a desponding young man. Had a religious opportunity with him, and there
were those in that meeting amongst the youth who were, or would be called to
the work of the ministry, with more that seemed pointed and encouraging."

Journalof Ann Branson

Elder-minister
relationship:

"Now
the state I have considered this infant minister in is such as requires help by
tender advice from faithful Friends of experience, so that I may compare him to
a babe that wants both the breast and nursing, which should be tenderly and
with great care administered. If he be corrected, let it be in love; if
encouraged, let it be with prudence. Both may hurt him, if not well timed, and
given discreetly."

"In the afternoon of this day, I could
feel no peace of mind without going to see a young man in the neighborhood, who
I believed was one cause of my distress, he being a member of our religious
Society. I had to deal very plainly with him, telling him, I knew not why I
should feel thus exercised on his account, but perhaps he could tell: I told
him that I believed if he pursued the course he was designing, that the cup of
trembling would be given to him to drink. . . . He seemed much brought down and
contrited for the present, weeping freely; but I had little hope of his
amendment, but felt that I must be free of his blood. . . . Next morning I
learned that he had the evening before my visit enlisted as a soldier in the
army. . . . After this he was in great conflict of mind. . .but alas! the
thirst for honor and military fame overcame his better feelings and judgment. .
. . He had joined the army. . . . Very certain I am that he had many loud calls
and warnings before he finally gave up to go counter to all his friend's
advice, and stifle the convictions of Truth in his own mind."

Journalof Ann Branson

Addressing
an offense from another person (Matthew 18):

Isaac
Penington has some very practical advice when those in the Meeting are having
disagreements with each other. In a letter written to a Friend who had a
dispute with another Friend and stopped going to Meeting at the second Friend's
house, Penington asks if the two Friends have actually discussed their
grievances with each other to see if they can straighten them out (in the
spirit of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 18:15-17).

"Is the thing, or are the
things, which thou has against him, fully so, as thou apprehends? Have you seen
evil in him, or to break forth from him? and have you considered him therein,
and dealt with him, as if it had been thy own case? Have you pitied him,
mourned over him, cried to the Lord for him, and in tender love and meekness of
spirit, laid the thing before him?""

In keeping with Matthew 18,
Penington suggests that others help if a one-to-one meeting does not help:

"And
if he has refused to hear thee, have you tenderly mentioned it to others, and
desired them to go with thee to him?"

The whole purpose is to
help that person causing a difficulty to come to a better place, in harmony
with the Inward Light and with others: "that what is evil and offensive in him,
might be more weightily and advantageously laid before him. . .for his recovery
unto that (the Inward Light or Seed), which is a witness and strength against
the evil. If thou has proceeded thus, thou has proceeded tenderly and orderly,
according to the law of brotherly love. . . .But, if thou has let in any
hardness of spirit, or hard reasonings against him, or hard resolutions as
relating to him, the witness of God (the Inward Light) will not justify thee in
that. . . . And, if, at any time hereafter, thou has anything against another,
O learn, from that of God in thee, to show compassion towards them, even as the
Lord has had pity on thee! And keep to . . . (God's) witness (the Seed) in thy
heart. Wait to feel the Seed, and to deepen thy dwelling therein, that thou may
abide in the peace and rest thereof."

[source?]

A
minister reports being eldered:

"Twenty-seventh,
we were at Mamaroneck meeting, Here, finding my mind led into different
subjects, I was thoughtful to close in good season; but after sitting down, I
did not feel that clear quiet which I commonly feel when I time it right; but
being unwilling to rise again, or kneel - for my mind was arrested with both -
I sat until it wore off, and then broke the meeting. After I got out, an Elder
came and took me by the hand and said: 'Joseph, thou hast been preaching to
others to be faithful to their gifts; has thou been faithful to thine? I
confess I did not expect the meeting to end so,' and turned away. Though I did
not expect to be found out in that way, I was glad to met with such honesty
from the Friend."

Note
in text itself: [The following interesting and
instructive narrative concerning some conversations which occurred during
Joseph Hoag's visit to this place, has been kindly furnished by a Friend who
resided there at that time.]

"Our
aged Friend, Joseph Hoag, with his companion, --- Battey, in the course of a
religious visit, was at my house, and I remember a remark having been made,
that there was some danger even to rightly annointed ministers, of preaching
too much; and an instance was related of that valuable Friend, Daniel Haviland,
in illustration of this danger, as follows:

A
minister is eldered by a child:

"Daniel
having felt a concern to attend a neighboring meeting, took his daughter, the
late Hannah Wanzer, with him, who was then a child of about nine years of age.
In this meeting he was largely engaged in the ministry, and apparently to his
own satisfaction; but on their way home, he observed that his child seemed
deeply and sorrowfully affected, and as she sighed heavily, and shed many
tears, Daniel asked her what affected her so much.She looked up into his face and said, 'Oh, father, I do fear
thee preached too much this morning!'Her father in surprise, exclaimed, 'Why, Hannah, what dost thou
mean?'To which the child replied,
'I was very much comforted with what thou told us in the first part of thy
discourse; my heart went along with thee, and I seemed even to know what thee
was going to say, and I was very glad I went to meeting with thee; but when
thee changed the subject, I could not go with thee, my heart became dark and
sad, and the more thee preached the more sad I felt, and my mind became so
troubled that I could not help weeping, and could scarcely keep my seat on the
bench, and Oh! father, it does seem to me that thee ought to have stopped when
thee got through that first subject.' Daniel rode on in solemn silence, beside
the sorrowing child, for a long time, and then laying his hand on the little
girl's head, he said, 'My daughter, flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto
thee, but my Father which is in heaven! I am now favored to see that I missed
my Guide, and that I ought to have stopped where thou pointed out.'" ..

From
the Journal of Joseph Hoag
(1762-1853) (1909, pp 332-335)

This collection was annotated for a
retreat led by Susan Smith on "Participants in Nurturing the Spiritual Life:
Eldering" held at Friends Center, Barnesville, OH, April 27-29, 2001.

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Quote that speaks to me

They that love beyond the world cannot be separated by it. Death cannot kill what never dies. Nor can spirits ever be divided that love and live in the same Divine Principle; the Root and Record of their friendship. If absence be not death, neither is theirs. Death is but crossing the world, as friends do the seas; they live in one another still. For they must needs be present, that love and live in that which is omnipresent. In this Divine Glass, they see face to face; and their converse is free, as well as pure. This
is the comfort of friends, that though they may be said to die, yet
their friendship and society are, in the best sense, ever present,
because immortal. - William Penn, More Fruits of Solitude, 1702.

Note: This passage was quoted by J.K.Rowling as the epigraph of her novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

It is as a "religion of life" that Quakerism will be presented in the future and is being presented now.

Its distinguishing note will be its resolve to bring all this human life of ours under the transforming power of spiritual life.It
will stand out against all divisions and compartments that separate the
sacred from the secular, the sanctuary from the outward world of
nature, the sacrament from the days' common work, the clergy from the
laity.

It will tell of a Christian
experience that makes all life sacred and all days holy, all nature a
sanctuary, all work a sacrament, and gives to every man and woman in the
body fit place and service.Its concern will be to
multiply men and women who will have a message of power because they are
themselves the children of light.It will claim the whole
of man's life, and the whole of life, individual, social, national
international, for the dominion of the will of God.

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